The External Tank contains the liquid hydrogen (LH₂) fuel and liquid oxygen (LO₂) oxidizer and supplies them under pressure to the three main engines in the orbiter during liftoff and ascent. The ET can hold 383,000 gallons of LH₂ and 143,000 gallons of LO₂. Together, they weigh a little more than 790 tons.

The external tank is 154.2 feet long and has a diameter of 27.5 feet. It is made of a welded aluminum alloy cylinder with an ogive nose and a hemispherical tail.

When the main engines are shut down the external tank is jettisoned, enters the earth’s atmosphere, breaks up, and impacts in a remote ocean area. It is not recovered.

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